NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned Wednesday that Western leaders must not grow complacent about China’s intentions, even as some U.S. allies deepen economic and diplomatic ties with Beijing.
China has been steadily expanding its influence across NATO countries. Rutte pushed back on “Special Report with Bret Baier” against suggestions that Western leaders are rethinking their approach to China, while warning about Beijing’s long-term military ambitions.
“It’s not up to me to comment on what any allies are doing in terms of their relationship with China. I think collectively as NATO, we have a position,” Rutte told Bret Baier when the host asked about a change in the way leaders deal with China. “The position is that we should not be naive. I can tell you, Bret, these huge investments the Chinese are making in the military are not there to organize parades in Beijing.”
The NATO chief warned that China’s ambitions extend well beyond economics, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.
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“The military in Russia are not there to organize parades in Moscow. They are there to be used. Russia is using them against the Ukrainians,” Rutte said. “And China, we know their ambitions in the Pacific. And again, here it is, the United States who is playing a huge role here to make sure that the Indo-Pacific stays safe. And as NATO and the Indo-Pacific, under President Trump’s leadership, we work more.”
Several NATO governments have pursued deeper economic engagement with Beijing, including Canada’s 2026 tariff-cutting trade reset with China and the United Kingdom’s approval of plans for China’s largest embassy in Europe in London. These moves sparked debate within the alliance about balancing economic ties and security concerns.
“The world has changed much since that last visit. I believe the progress that we have made in the partnership sets us up well for the new world order,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said.
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